Oculus updates Gear VR app to drop support for Note 7 following fire concerns

Having a phone burst into flames within inches of your eyes would make blowing things up in virtual reality video games a little too real.

That’s why Oculus is updating its Gear VR app to remove support for the Galaxy Note 7 in light of recent safety concerns.

After numerous cases of Note 7 devices overheating, smoking and bursting into flames, Samsung issued a recall on September 12th. Samsung then officially halted production of the Note 7 this weekend after a number of replacement units caught on fire.

Canadian consumers with a Note 7 device or replacement Note 7 can return it to where they purchased it for a full refund. But those who bought the Gear VR for their now defunct Galaxy Note 7 are out of luck if their return period has run out.

Users who continue to try to use their Galaxy S7 in their Gear VR headset are met with a message that says, “Customer safety is Oculus’ top priority Oculus is removing support for all Note7 devices on the Oculus platform. Until further notice, Note7 devices will not be compatible with the Gear VR. For more information regarding the Note7, please contact Samsung directly.”

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Oculus’ Gear VR is still compatible with Samsung’s Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 smartphones.

The Facebook-owned virtual reality company also posted a statement on their website saying, “Oculus is removing support for all Note7 devices on the Oculus platform. Until further notice, Note7 devices will not be compatible with the Gear VR. For more information regarding the Note7, please visit Samsung’s information page or contact Samsung directly.”

Related: Samsung is working with Health Canada to ‘resolve’ Note 7 issue

[via]The Next Web[/via]